Fourth Grade Library Classes 2008-2009 Summary Library classes in the lower school usually begin with 15-20 minutes of students quietly reading their outside reading books. The following projects were completed during the remainder of library time.
September
Topic: Introduction to Fenn School Library
Content Skills:
Understand and be comfortable with librarians and library class expectations:
Bring and Outside Reading Book to class and be prepared to participate in class discussion and activity.
If you need a book, feel free to ask a librarian for help
Be able to use the library to locate, check out, and return books independently
Library is available to students whenever they need a book, not only during library class
Introduction to making idea web
Teaching Methods:
Group discussion of Sua Sponte grade categories
Creating an idea web: What do you think of when you hear the word Library? (need hand out)
Tour of the library
Scavenger Hunt (need handout)
Assessment/Objectives:
completed handout of idea web
completed scavenger hunt
participates in discussion
Resources/Materials:
two handouts, pencils
chart paper & marker to make group idea web about libraries
name tags
Notes:
September/October
Unit on Cambodia in preparation for Loung Ung’s visit at end of October 2008.Lesson 1 Topic: Introduction to Cambodia - “Running Shoes” by Frederick Lipp
Content Skills:
Actively listen to a picture book story in order to collect information about the setting
Record clues from the story and illustrations about the setting of the story
List their clues in a group web map
Deduct the setting based on the group’s clues
Locate Equator, Tropic of Cancer/Capricorn on globe and note that this is the hottest region of the world
Locate South East Asia on a globe, based on their clues
Teaching Methods:
Model the finding of clues about the setting in a story (using bamboo shoots on first page as example)
Read aloud
Web mapping
Deductive reasoning
Assessment/Objectives:
students record clues on paper while listening to story
participates in group web mapping
contributes to discussion about story’s location
Resources/Materials:
White board/markers/eraser
Clipboards/Pencils
“Running Shoes” handout
“Running Shoes” by Frederick Lipp
Globe (falls off it's axis easily)
Lesson 2 Topic: Introduction to Cambodia & Google Maps
Content Skills:
Use written directions for Google Maps to find Cambodia
Locate site of Cambridge School for Cambodia, in rural Cambodia
Use satellite images, topographic map, and road map to gather information about rural Cambodia
Record answers on worksheet
Teaching Methods:
Direct instruction on how to login to google maps
Guided exploration of Cambodia’s geography
Assessment/Objectives:
Engagement in online process for Google maps
Completion of handout
Resources/Materials:
LCD projector, computer, google maps
Clipboards/Pencils
Handout “Cambodia Google Maps”
Notes:
NOTES Study of Cambodia including: ·Reading aloud Running Shoes by by Frederick Lipp and Jason Gaillard ·Fly over video of Cambodia, to study geography, housing, and climate ·Using Inspiration, a web mapping tool to document what we learned about Cambodia from the book and the movie ·Google Maps of Cambodia ·A Song for Cambodiaby Michelle Lord and Shino Arihara story about Arn Chorn Pond ·Traditional Instruments in Cambodia using PBS website ·Traditional and modern dance in Cambodia and Cambodia Americans ·Water festival video October:
Topic:
Content Skills:
Teaching Methods:
Assessment/Objectives:
Resources/Materials:
Notes:
·Read aloud Halloween stories, ghost stories, and witch stories November & December:
Topic:
Content Skills:
Teaching Methods:
Assessment/Objectives:
Resources/Materials:
Notes:
·Story mapping, including title, author, characters, setting, problem, events, & solution. ·Using Inspiration, an online tool for creating idea webs students created their own story map ·Translating idea web into a plan for creating a book review
November - February
Outside Reading Books (ORB) Reflections
This is an opportunity for boys to reflect on the reading they have been doing. Their audience will be their peers. They'll present a compelling book review to their peers through either comic strip format or voice thread format. (See below for details.)
1. A lesson using Inspiration Software. They will use an inspiration template which allows the student to map a story of their choice. The template includes places to input:
title/author
setting
characters
problem
events
solution
my connection to the story (where boys explain how they felt compelled by this story.)
2. A lesson that takes the completed Inspiration story map and allows the student to plan to create a six pane Comic Strip using Comic Creator by Read, Write, Think. They will create six panes in their comic, one for each of the story map areas above (except for "solution" - I don't want them to give away the ending of their story.) I've created a Comic Creator Planning Sheet where they'll first plan out what each panel of the comic will contain.
3. A lesson that takes the completed Inspiration story map and allows the student to create a voice thread book review. He can write and record a book review like the ones in the example. This will involve:
- using the information from the Inspiration story map as to write a book review
- creating a line drawing of themselves to upload
- finding an image of their book to upload
- optionally, doing drawings of events in the book to include in the voice thread
- recording their book review
I will create an outline for a spoken book review, including a quote from the book to open the book review, a synopsis, and an opinion about the book backed up by examples from the story. January & February: ·Created book review comic strips using Comic Strip Maker on readwritethink.org ·Created spoken book reviews using voicethread.com ·Created bulletin boards with comic strips March, April, May: ·Study of Inuit culture obeginning with “What I Already Know”, “What I Would Like to Know”, and “What I Learned” othrough the reading of James Houston’s The White Archer othrough the use of informational books about the arctic and the Inuit
Canadian Natives
James Houston's Treasury of Inuit Legends (2006) contains:
Tiktaliktak - survival story of a young boy who is separated from his family and has to live a year on his own.
Students will each create 26 page hardcover book of their state research project. Using print resources (books), evaluated web sites, and subscription databases students will locate and access pertinent information that is necessary to complete their research. For an A-Z State Book Evaluation see here:
The librarians will collaborate with 4th grade social studies teachers and students:
1. An introduction session to "What is research?" with an overview of the following:
2. Under consideration is an introduction to NoodleTools/NoodleBib so students can compile their bibliographies while conducting their ongoing research.
3. Lastly we will display students' ABC State Books in the library!
Questions for the team:
Are the ABC book pages sent into a company to bind the books?
Do you want other options for adding content to student ABC books besides self written and self drawings?
Could the library have a copy of My American GeoJourney to have a sense of what students are already doing/have already completed with this unit? For example, the database CultureGrams has already been used extensively with the GeoJourney booklet so you would prefer to use other databases for the ABC State Project Research.
Please send us the periods of the week that each of you teach 4th grade social studies
If possible would you like some of this work to be completed during library class time?
Language Arts
First Nations (Canadian term) - Native Americans
Where the Buffaloes Begin by Olaf Baker Spider Spins a Story Fourteen Legends from Native America Edited by Jill Max. Read a review from Amazon
The Warriors by Joseph Bruchac
RIF - Reading Planet
"A new site, Reading Planet, by Reading is Fundamental offers students a variety of options to make reading fun. The site gives kids the opportunity to print a monthly calendar with reading activities for each day of the month in the "Activity Lab;" the opportunity to review books in the "Express Yourself" section; games to build reading and language comprehension in the "Game Station"; and read-along stories with illustrations in the "Book Zone." After a free registration, members also have the opportunity to write story threads with other members from around the world."
The featured author in December is Joseph Bruchac!
4th Grade Curriculum
Fourth Grade Library Classes 2008-2009Summary
Library classes in the lower school usually begin with 15-20 minutes of students quietly reading their outside reading books. The following projects were completed during the remainder of library time.
September
Topic: Introduction to Fenn School LibrarySeptember/October
Unit on Cambodia in preparation for Loung Ung’s visit at end of October 2008.Lesson 1 Topic: Introduction to Cambodia - “Running Shoes” by Frederick Lipp
- Content Skills:
- Actively listen to a picture book story in order to collect information about the setting
- Record clues from the story and illustrations about the setting of the story
- List their clues in a group web map
- Deduct the setting based on the group’s clues
- Locate Equator, Tropic of Cancer/Capricorn on globe and note that this is the hottest region of the world
- Locate South East Asia on a globe, based on their clues
- Teaching Methods:
- Model the finding of clues about the setting in a story (using bamboo shoots on first page as example)
- Read aloud
- Web mapping
- Deductive reasoning
- Assessment/Objectives:
- students record clues on paper while listening to story
- participates in group web mapping
- contributes to discussion about story’s location
- Resources/Materials:
- White board/markers/eraser
- Clipboards/Pencils
- “Running Shoes” handout
- “Running Shoes” by Frederick Lipp
- Globe (falls off it's axis easily)
- Lesson 2 Topic: Introduction to Cambodia & Google Maps
- Content Skills:
- Use written directions for Google Maps to find Cambodia
- Locate site of Cambridge School for Cambodia, in rural Cambodia
- Use satellite images, topographic map, and road map to gather information about rural Cambodia
- Record answers on worksheet
- Teaching Methods:
- Direct instruction on how to login to google maps
- Guided exploration of Cambodia’s geography
- Assessment/Objectives:
- Engagement in online process for Google maps
- Completion of handout
- Resources/Materials:
- LCD projector, computer, google maps
- Clipboards/Pencils
- Handout “Cambodia Google Maps”
- Notes:
NOTES Study of Cambodia including:· Reading aloud Running Shoes by by Frederick Lipp and Jason Gaillard
· Fly over video of Cambodia, to study geography, housing, and climate
· Using Inspiration, a web mapping tool to document what we learned about Cambodia from the book and the movie
· Google Maps of Cambodia
· A Song for Cambodia by Michelle Lord and Shino Arihara story about Arn Chorn Pond
· Traditional Instruments in Cambodia using PBS website
· Traditional and modern dance in Cambodia and Cambodia Americans
· Water festival video
October:
· Read aloud Halloween stories, ghost stories, and witch stories
November & December:
· Story mapping, including title, author, characters, setting, problem, events, & solution.
· Using Inspiration, an online tool for creating idea webs students created their own story map
· Translating idea web into a plan for creating a book review
November - February
Outside Reading Books (ORB) Reflections
This is an opportunity for boys to reflect on the reading they have been doing. Their audience will be their peers. They'll present a compelling book review to their peers through either comic strip format or voice thread format. (See below for details.)1. A lesson using Inspiration Software. They will use an inspiration template which allows the student to map a story of their choice. The template includes places to input:
Here's the Inspiration Template:
Story Map.isf
2. A lesson that takes the completed Inspiration story map and allows the student to plan to create a six pane Comic Strip using Comic Creator by Read, Write, Think. They will create six panes in their comic, one for each of the story map areas above (except for "solution" - I don't want them to give away the ending of their story.) I've created a Comic Creator Planning Sheet where they'll first plan out what each panel of the comic will contain.
Here's the Planning Sheet:
Comic Creator Planning Sheet.doc
3. A lesson that takes the completed Inspiration story map and allows the student to create a voice thread book review. He can write and record a book review like the ones in the example. This will involve:
- using the information from the Inspiration story map as to write a book review
- creating a line drawing of themselves to upload
- finding an image of their book to upload
- optionally, doing drawings of events in the book to include in the voice thread
- recording their book review
I will create an outline for a spoken book review, including a quote from the book to open the book review, a synopsis, and an opinion about the book backed up by examples from the story.
January & February:
· Created book review comic strips using Comic Strip Maker on readwritethink.org
· Created spoken book reviews using voicethread.com
· Created bulletin boards with comic strips
March, April, May:
· Study of Inuit culture
o beginning with “What I Already Know”, “What I Would Like to Know”, and “What I Learned”
o through the reading of James Houston’s The White Archer
o through the use of informational books about the arctic and the Inuit
Canadian Natives
James Houston's Treasury of Inuit Legends (2006) contains:Tiktaliktak - survival story of a young boy who is separated from his family and has to live a year on his own.
Canadian Library Association's Book of the Year for Children Award
June
· Comparison of traditional Inuit culture to modern life in Nunavit through Canadian Geographic photographs, www.canadiangeographic.ca
ABC State Project Report
Students will each create 26 page hardcover book of their state research project. Using print resources (books), evaluated web sites, and subscription databases students will locate and access pertinent information that is necessary to complete their research. For an A-Z State Book Evaluation see here:
The librarians will collaborate with 4th grade social studies teachers and students:
1. An introduction session to "What is research?" with an overview of the following:
E - Endangered Species Search by Place database
F - Stately Knowledge: Some Famous People From This State
I - Indigenous People:
Federally Recognized Tribal Names A Through N
Federally Recognized Tribal Names O Through Z
M - State Motto
O - Outstanding Feature (architecture: monuments, bridges, tallest buildings; National Parks, etc.)
V - Volcanoes (Vegetation, Vegetables, Vermin, Victorian architecture, Voting?)
Z - United States Postal Service Zip Code Lookup
Roadside Attractions
2. Under consideration is an introduction to NoodleTools/NoodleBib so students can compile their bibliographies while conducting their ongoing research.
3. Lastly we will display students' ABC State Books in the library!
Questions for the team:
Language Arts
First Nations (Canadian term) - Native Americans
Where the Buffaloes Begin by Olaf Baker
Spider Spins a Story Fourteen Legends from Native America Edited by Jill Max. Read a review from Amazon
The Warriors by Joseph Bruchac
RIF - Reading Planet
"A new site, Reading Planet, by Reading is Fundamental offers students a variety of options to make reading fun. The site gives kids the opportunity to print a monthly calendar with reading activities for each day of the month in the "Activity Lab;" the opportunity to review books in the "Express Yourself" section; games to build reading and language comprehension in the "Game Station"; and read-along stories with illustrations in the "Book Zone." After a free registration, members also have the opportunity to write story threads with other members from around the world."
The featured author in December is Joseph Bruchac!
Web sites
Recommended Publications for Children on Native American Subjects - Encyclopedia Smithsonian